How can you reduce the total cost of surrogacy?

While you likely will not find ways for large discounts on surrogacy, there are some ways you can have your surrogacy journey cost a little less. First, talk to more than one fertility clinic. Working with a clinic that Circle has partnered with will give you access to a special, negotiated rate - but they’re all different, and offer a variety of programs. Finding the most competitive option with the right fertility services for you can create a significant cost savings. Second, you can see if you have a friend or family member who is willing to act as your surrogate. Circle has a Bring Your Own Surrogate program that provides cost savings.

Is surrogacy covered by insurance? Will my insurance cover surrogacy?

There are times when surrogacy may be covered by your gestational carrier's health insurance. Circle Surrogacy is diligent about screening for and accepting candidates whose maternity insurance will fully cover a surrogate pregnancy. And when surrogates aren’t adequately covered, we can facilitate high-quality, surrogacy-specific insurance coverage for your surrogate. In other words, the Circle team will ensure that your entire surrogacy journey is financially stable and protected by top-tier health insurance.

How much does surrogacy cost if you use a friend?

Surrogacy costs may be a little less if you use a family member or friend. Contact Circle with specific cost questions at: info@circlesurrogacy.com

Can you do surrogacy for free?

Some intended parents find a family member or friend who will be their surrogate at no charge, however there are fees associated with the professionals involved and the process itself.

How much does the surrogate mother get paid?

Surrogates are paid a base compensation, which can range from $35,000-$45,000, plus additional pay and benefits, totaling $55,000-$65,000+.

How long does the surrogacy process take?

The length of the process depends on several factors, including the time to match with a surrogate, and whether or not intended parents already have embryos created. For an estimated timeline, contact Circle at: info@circlesurrogacy.com

How much does surrogacy cost? | Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation

How much it cost to have a baby by surrogate?

The cost of surrogacy, is one of the first questions we are asked by intended parents interested in growing their family through surrogacy. In general, you'll find that surrogacy costs can range from around $80,000 to upwards of $200,000.

If you're thinking, "That is a big range! How can I find out how much surrogacy will really cost me?", you're not alone. In order to get a full picture of how much surrogacy will cost, it's important to understand all that goes into making up a surrogacy journey, so the costs are reflective of everything you will need during your journey.

Circle Surrogacy offers one all-inclusive cost program for surrogacy, the Journey Protection Guarantee Program. At Circle, the cost for surrogacy only is $148,750, and for surrogacy and egg donation is $172,750. Understanding what goes into the surrogacy process helps intended parents see the need for professionals and certain surrogacy expenses.

Surrogacy Cost Breakdown

What makes up your surrogacy costs?

The cost of surrogacy can be put into five (5) categories. The below percentages are approximate and based on our experience managing journeys.

Surrogate Mother Costs. The cost for your surrogate's base compensation, plus the additional benefits and protection put in place for her and her family, makes up about 41% of your total surrogacy costs.
Agency Fee. The agency fee varies from agency to agency. At Circle Surrogacy, your agency fee covers the management of your entire journey, plus intended parent legal fees, and all accounting and medical billing costs. Your agency fee makes up 23% of your total surrogacy costs.
Legal, Screening and Support for your Surrogate. These costs cover your surrogate's legal representation, as well as all screening costs and her support throughout her journey. These costs make up approximately 14% of your total surrogate costs.
Insurance. Surrogacy insurance is an integral piece of the surrogacy process. Intended parents will need to have pregnancy insurance in place for their surrogate. Some surrogate's insurance will cover surrogacy, however intended parents should work with their lawyers to review policies in detail. Surrogacy insurance accounts for 16% of your total surrogacy costs.
Parent Legal Rights. These costs cover preparing pre- and post-birth orders, as well as additional work needed to have Intended Parents named on the birth certificate of the baby. These legal costs make up 6% of your total costs.

These costs do not include any IVF costs, which are paid directly to the Intended Parents' fertility clinic.

One All-Inclusive Cost Program

Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation is the leading surrogacy agency because we always put our Intended Parents’ needs first. Our program and surrogacy costs are structured to achieve two primary goals: success and cost security.

Circle is proud to offer the all-inclusive Journey Protection Guarantee Program, which is designed to help as many Intended Parents as possible bring home a baby while reducing variable costs.

Journey Protection Guarantee Program
Surrogacy only: $148,750
Surrogacy plus egg donation: $172,750
(both prices exclude IVF)

Our Journey Protection Guarantee offers Intended Parents:

An all-inclusive cost that covers unlimited retrievals and transfers and any complications that may arise during your journey
100% refund of our agency fee if you have no embryos remaining and do not bring home a baby
No surprise costs or invoices

The costs outlined above are for our Surrogacy Only and Surrogacy Plus Egg Donation Programs. For more information about the costs of our other programs, please email us or call us at 617.439.9900.

Surrogate costs explained

Why is surrogacy so expensive?

A surrogacy journey consists of many professionals with experience in egg donation and surrogacy – including knowledge of surrogacy laws and contracts, as well as the IVF process. Because the surrogacy process can be complex, intended parents should have a solid team of professionals helping them manage their journey. Intended parents are paying for the professionals' or agency's experience in this ever-evolving field. All of this factors into surrogacy costs.

What does a surrogacy agency fee cover?

If you work with a surrogacy agency, you will have to pay a surrogacy agency fee. The agency fee covers many aspects of your surrogacy journey, including:

• Management of your entire journey, from start to finish
• Screening & Matching with your Carrier and Egg Donor
• Journey support
• Trust Account management
• Legal work
• Insurance

Managing a surrogacy journey and all the moving parts can be very time consuming, which is why many intended parents choose to work with – and pay – a surrogacy agency to handle all of the details.

Can I make surrogacy more affordable by doing an independent journey?

Intended Parents who are wondering how to afford surrogacy and wish to reduce surrogacy costs may opt to do an independent surrogacy journey, in which case they will be responsible for finding their own surrogate, managing the surrogacy process and their journey, coordinating with IVF clinics and local monitoring clinics, and finding their own lawyers to handle legal surrogacy contracts. Please know, pursuing and independent journey does not necessarily mean a cost savings.

Circle offers a reduced-cost program for intended parents who find a surrogate mother on their own. Learn more about our Surrogacy with Your Own Surrogate program.

Why work with an agency?

How much do surrogates cost?

Surrogate mother costs account for about 55% of total surrogacy costs at Circle Surrogacy. Circle's all inclusive Journey Protection Guarantee Program is designed so that Intended Parents can plan financially for their journey, with no surprise costs along the way. On average, surrogates are paid between $50,000-$60,000 for a surrogacy journey.

What are the costs for a surrogate?

The cost of a surrogate can be broken down into the following:

Base compensation. Her base compensation is generally between $30,000-$40,000, and is determined by where the gestational carrier is located, whether or not she has insurance, and if she is an experienced surrogate (experienced carriers will have a higher base compensation). In addition to her base compensation, gestational surrogate pay includes payments and benefits throughout her journey for reaching certain milestones, traveling, and more.

Professional Services. Professional services for your surrogate include legal and social work support. Each surrogate applicant is carefully screened by licensed professionals with Circle Surrogacy before being accepted into our program. Intended parents will also pay for their surrogate's independent legal counsel and life insurance.

Other Surrogate Expenses. Circle Surrogacy collects an average cost of expenses for your journey, which includes coverage for unexpected costs that can arise. These expenses include typical surrogate expenses during a journey (such as travel and lost wages, monthly stipend, maternity clothes, etc), as well as coverage for unanticipated expenses that may arise during the journey.

Security & protection for surrogacy costs

Our Journey Protection Guarantee Program includes fixed costs on the following:

• Professional Fees
• Gestational Carrier (i.e., surrogate) and Egg Donor Fees
• Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery Insurance

Surrogacy expenses that are a Fixed Cost

Circle Surrogacy offers fixed costs for all professional fees, gestational carrier and egg donor fees, medical and insurance expenses, and can connect you with IVF clinics that offer similar fixed price programs for IVF expenses. This means that Intended Parents will see one price at the beginning of their journey, and that is the price they can expect to pay – no surprises, no inflation, no last-minute extra costs.

Fixed Cost: Professional fees

Fixed cost for all professional fees, including: Matching, Screening, Legal, Accounting, Medical Billing and Re-matches.

What an agency fee covers.

Fixed Cost: Carrier and Donor expenses

Fixed cost for Carrier & Donor fees, including: Carrier & Egg Donor base fees, Travel, Bedrest, Local Monitoring, and Contingencies (e.g. C-section).

How surrogates are compensated.

Fixed Cost: Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery Insurance

Fixed cost for Medical & Insurance expenses, including: Premium/Gestational Carrier Payment, Maternity Insurance, Complications, Life Insurance, Insurance Defense, and Back-up Policy.

Read more about medical and insurance expenses.

Financing for More Affordable Surrogacy

Circle Surrogacy understands that surrogacy requires financial planning for many people, so we’ve worked hard to develop a competitive and fair financing option for intended parents who need assistance in securing the necessary funds.

Our exclusive financing plan enables intended parents to more easily afford surrogacy with low-APR loans.

Exclusive Financing Plan

Insurance costs for your surrogate

Circle can help coordinate a multitude of options for insurance relating to your journey. We employ eight lawyers to help ensure parents receive proper coverage.

Insurance Options

Surrogacy programs available

Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation offers a variety of program options for intended parents who wish to grow their family with third-party reproduction. Our programs include:

• Surrogacy Only
• Surrogacy Plus Egg Donation
• Egg Donation Only
• Surrogacy with Your Own Surrogate
• Dual Journey
• Sibling Journey

We're happy to walk you through each of these programs to see which one is the best fit for your family-building needs.

Find the right program

Common questions from parents like you

As you consider parenthood, you may have questions along the way. Don't worry. With 25 years of experience, we've helped parents navigate surrogacy and their journeys to parenthood, and have answered almost every question out there!

For a full list of all Frequently Asked Questions by intended parents, click here.

How can you reduce the total cost of surrogacy?: While you likely will not find ways for large discounts on surrogacy, there are some ways you can have your surrogacy journey cost a little less. First, talk to more than one fertility clinic. Working with a clinic that Circle has partnered with will give you access to a special, negotiated rate - but they’re all different, and offer a variety of programs. Finding the most competitive option with the right fertility services for you can create a significant cost savings. Second, you can see if you have a friend or family member who is willing to act as your surrogate. Circle has a Bring Your Own Surrogate program that provides cost savings.
Is surrogacy covered by insurance? Will my insurance cover surrogacy?: There are times when surrogacy may be covered by your gestational carrier's health insurance. Circle Surrogacy is diligent about screening for and accepting candidates whose maternity insurance will fully cover a surrogate pregnancy. And when surrogates aren’t adequately covered, we can facilitate high-quality, surrogacy-specific insurance coverage for your surrogate. In other words, the Circle team will ensure that your entire surrogacy journey is financially stable and protected by top-tier health insurance.
How much does surrogacy cost if you use a friend?: Surrogacy costs may be a little less if you use a family member or friend. Contact Circle with specific cost questions at: [email protected]
Can you do surrogacy for free?: Some intended parents find a family member or friend who will be their surrogate at no charge, however there are fees associated with the professionals involved and the process itself.
How much does the surrogate mother get paid?: Surrogates are paid a base compensation, which can range from $35,000-$45,000, plus additional pay and benefits, totaling $55,000-$65,000+.
How long does the surrogacy process take?: The length of the process depends on several factors, including the time to match with a surrogate, and whether or not intended parents already have embryos created. For an estimated timeline, contact Circle at: [email protected]

Understanding surrogacy costs